Darby and Jarrett were inspired to do a downtown Galveston engagement session after browsing this photo locations guide. Since they’ll also be getting married on the island at the gorgeous and historic Bryan Museum, it was an easy choice.

In planning their session, some of the specific spots that stood out to them were the West Market (aka WeMa) District and the Powell Mardi Gras Arch. They liked the quirky and colorful backdrops in the WeMa area and the arch stood out as an iconic Galveston landmark.

We started our session in WeMa since it was a high priority. We met in the early morning just a few minutes after sunrise. The West Market District is home to two super unique and slightly out of place facades; a gate with a boxwood type greenery and gold details, and an aqua door bordered by colorful tiles. These were our first stop. We also made sure to stop by Maceo Spice to get some shots with the awesome mural on the side of their building.

From here we headed toward the arch. We walked down Market Street stopping to capture photos that showed off some of the beautiful architecture. The early morning shoot meant little to no cars and an unobstructed view of the unique buildings!

The Powell Mardi Gras Arch is a challenge to photograph. The angles with the best backgrounds requires me standing in the middle of an intersection. But the images are always so fun! Next we headed to Saengerfest Park to take advantage of the location while it was crowd free. We also crossed the street for photos with the iconic cornet sculpture at the Old Galveston Square building.

It was so fun and relaxing having Galveston to ourselves. I know early morning shoots might seem like the worst, but they really do give you A TON more location options and allow for a lot more unique and creative photos. Hot tip: go out for a delicious breakfast after your session and make a date of it!

You might also like this Carr Mansion engagement session!